Special Training Ends, Missions

Nebula Kotetsu fell silent.

There was no other reason. Uzuki Yugao had fired off so many questions that he hadn't known how to respond.

A moment later, he came to his senses. "Yugao."

"You've got it wrong."

"I'm not that kind of person." As he said this, he remembered the system's instance quest and, for some reason, felt inexplicably guilty.

He continued, "Anko never confessed to me."

"Besides, she's my friend, one of the few I have."

Back when his girlfriend's admirers had been hunting him down, Mitaraishi Anko had happened to save him.

As a principled man with a rich emotional life, he felt that making a move on her would be a bit like repaying kindness with betrayal. So even though he knew it wouldn't be difficult, he hadn't led her on.

How had that somehow become his fault in Yugao's logic?

Hearing Nebula Kotetsu's answer, Yugao looked at him meaningfully.

"Really?"

"...I don't believe you."

Nebula Kotetsu said, "Believe what you want."

Yugao asked, "Then do you dare swear it?"

Swear? Nebula Kotetsu thought, I'd dare. It's not like I'm posting it on social media.

Still, he didn't want to keep following her lead.

His expression turned cold. "Yugao."

"If you want to spar with swords, I'm happy to."

"As long as I have time, I'll spar with you until you're satisfied. But as for anything else... I'm sorry, please don't bring it up again."

Disappointment showed in Yugao's eyes.

She had come to see Nebula Kotetsu fully expecting to win him over, but he was even harder to handle than she'd imagined.

Looking at his dazzlingly beautiful face, she felt very unhappy.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, as if she'd thought of something. She asked, "Nebula-senpai."

"You said I could come spar with you as long as you had time, right?"

Nebula Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah... but not for too long."

"I can't give you all my free time. I barely have enough time to spend with my girlfriend as it is."

"Don't worry." Yugao broke into a smile. "Then it's a deal."

"From now on, I'll come practice swordsmanship with you for an hour every day."

Nebula Kotetsu said, "All right."

Yugao finally left, satisfied.

Before she went, she looked at Nebula Kotetsu's face and smiled like a cat that had just caught a fish.

Senpai, senpai.

Swordsmanship wasn't all about fighting and killing.

Ever heard of the Deep Affection Blade? The Cloud-Turning Rain-Covering Sword? Next time, I'll show you what they're all about.

After Yugao left, Nebula Kotetsu went back to his usual routine.

He checked in on his troublesome younger brother and went on a picnic with his girlfriend, as they'd planned. The next morning, he got up early and joined Might Guy in making their youth shine green, strengthening their friendship.

And he had to admit, after a few days, his body seemed to be getting used to waking up early to exercise. Getting out of bed no longer felt like dying, and when he ran alongside Might Guy, his lungs no longer felt ready to burst.

Even without rewards from the system panel, he could feel himself getting stronger. After each workout, his blood seemed to flow freely, his chest felt open, and his spirits lifted.

If he didn't have to go home early to change out of the green jumpsuit, he'd have felt even better.

He sparred with Mikoto Uchiha and asked her questions.

In the afternoon, he practiced swordsmanship with Yugao, who skipped class and came over after getting permission to leave.

Over the next few days, he finally understood the meaning behind Yugao's knowing smile when she'd left.

Good grief. He'd never seen "swordsmanship" like this before.

At first, Yugao acted fairly normally. They practiced with their swords, took a break, then practiced some more.

But as time went on, she started getting sloppy with her movements, and then...

"Nebula-senpai, that's not the right way to hold your sword. It might feel easier when you first put your strength into it, but you'll damage your joints. Here, let me teach you the proper grip."

"Nebula-senpai, that still isn't right. Here, watch how I hold my sword. Come on, try it."

"Senpai, you're so strong. My hands are numb from the shock."

"Senpai, you're improving so fast."

"Nebula, you're amazing!"

Nebula Kotetsu had considered putting a stop to it.

"Isn't calling me that a little impolite?"

Yugao had a perfectly reasonable answer. "Impolite?"

"I thought calling you that would make us closer."

"Besides, why should we be polite with each other?" After that, she carried on exactly as before.

She called it sparring, but the way she did it had already surpassed what Nebula Kotetsu had experienced with Rin Nohara, and was rapidly approaching what he'd experienced with Kanako and the others.

The busy days passed quickly.

One morning, Nebula Kotetsu and Asuma Sarutobi sparred with Mikoto Uchiha at her training ground.

Asuma went first, then Kurenai Yuhi, and then it was his turn.

Over the past few days, his progress and sense of combat rhythm had improved greatly. His movements flowed smoothly, and his attacks were fast and powerful.

Even Kurenai Yuhi had noticed how much Nebula Kotetsu had improved.

"Asuma, Nebula's Taijutsu is improving so quickly." Watching him spar enthusiastically with Mikoto Uchiha in the training ground, Kurenai sighed.

Asuma glanced over. "I don't think so. He's just average."

Kurenai said, "You didn't notice?"

"Teacher Mikoto is taking this a lot more seriously than she was just now."

Asuma didn't think much of it. "It's probably because we wore Teacher Mikoto out. Think about it: how could she take a newly graduated Genin seriously?"

Kurenai's brow gradually furrowed.

Watching Asuma stubbornly cling to his opinion, she couldn't help saying, "Asuma, is it that hard to admit your teammate is good?"

"We're partners. We'll be going on missions together and facing danger. You can't keep holding it against Nebula."

Hearing that, Asuma immediately felt a surge of anger. But under Kurenai's displeased gaze, he could only suppress it and stubbornly replied, "I'm not..."

Kurenai also felt she'd been too harsh just now, so she softened her tone. "Good. Asuma, I want teammates who stick together, and I want friends who are open-minded."

"Sometimes, you really do need to work on your temper."

Asuma lowered his head, his face turning red.

He felt both ashamed and indignant. But in front of Kurenai, he kept his feelings buried.

Kurenai liked open-minded people, so he'd just ignore Nebula Kotetsu for now. He'd have plenty of chances to prove himself.

Eventually, Kurenai would realize that he was the best!

"Thud!" Their feet collided, and the two fighters each staggered backward.

Nebula Kotetsu steadied himself and was about to advance again, but Mikoto Uchiha raised a hand to stop him.

"That's enough."

"We'll call it a day."

Nebula Kotetsu relaxed at her words. He took off his gloves as he panted.

Mikoto Uchiha calmed her racing heartbeat and said, "All three of you have made great progress lately."

"That's the end of your special training. Starting tomorrow, you'll take on missions."

The three of them immediately looked up. Asuma and Kurenai exchanged glances, and both saw the anticipation in the other's eyes.